Poli 220 Pzeworkski

• Przeworski issue w/ other ppl's definition of democracy

  - Everyone hangs normatively desirable aspects of political, social and economic life on democracy

  - Ex) the idea that democracy necessitate: representation, accountability, participation, equality, freedom (substantive perspective)

  - Democracy should look like^ rather than democracy is___
• Przeworski first argument - Possibility of government change prevents violence

  Winner will

  - Act representatively because they want to be re-elected

  - Will allow system to continue bc they don't want to provoke resistance or violence to their power

  Loser will

  - Will comply with system because they have a chance to win next time

  Assumption: Rebellion of the people is high cost for both winner and loser

  Issue: Why wouldn't parties rule under the toss of a coin to rid the threat of rebellion
• Issue: Why wouldn't parties rule under the toss of a coin to rid the threat of rebellion

  Pzerworksi's defence

  There's no way of maintaining this "toss of a coin" contract w/o the threat of violence
• Pzeworski second argument - Voting has consequences


  An imposition of a will over a will

  - Losers submit their will to the winner

  Empowers legitimacy of governments to act

  Authorizes coercion

  - Losers follow bc they lost, not because they've been reasoned to
• Pzerworski: Democracies fail when

  - one party controls a large share of seats in legislature

  - heads of governments change too quickly(ex. changing in less than 5 years)
• Pzerworski favours parliamentary democracies over purely presidential ones. Why?

  Presidents leave bc of obligation not bc they're defeated
• Pzerworski three facts

  Democracies survive better:

  - in rich countries

  - when no single political force dominates

  - when voters can choose rulers through elections

  Thus: Democracy lasts when it offers an opportunity to the conflicting forces to advance their interests within the institutional framework
• According to Pzeworkski: Pzeowrski's model insights


  1. Peaceful transitions of power are possible without elections

  2. The more destructive civil war is, the greater the incentive to "work things out"

  -May explain link between economic development and democracy; the opportunity cost of civil war increases in economic development
• According to Pzeworkski: How to solve Pzeworski's process

  Even if B is likely to win a civil war, B must consider how destructive the war is

  -Is a p chance at 1-y better than getting 1-x for sure?

  
  

  A could give B enough to dissuade B from starting a civil war

  -The more destructive any civil war, and larger p is (to a point) the larger residual A offers
• According to Pzeworkski: What's the options if B decides a civil war?


  1. B wins with some probability, p, But...

  2. which destroys a fraction, y, of the economy
• According to Pzeworkski: Pzeworski's thought experiment

  Two teams of "elites" flip a coin

  -If heads, team A takes power and consumes x (Proportion of the economy)

  -Team B acknowledges A's authority and gets the residual, 1-x i.e. (Left-overs) OR

  -B can spark a winner-take-all civil war that B wins with some probability, p But which destroys a fraction, y, of the economy
• According to Pzeworkski: Why does Pzeworski disagree with the limitations of minimalist democracy

  -The possibility of change in government can avoid violence

  -Act of voting places limits on government